


While you were away

by DeadSexy



Series: Ripples [2]
Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Angst, Denial, Friendship, Implied/Referenced Drug Use
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-02
Updated: 2016-12-02
Packaged: 2018-09-06 02:07:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8730580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeadSexy/pseuds/DeadSexy
Summary: Piper and Hancock talk about stuff
Set after Vi goes to the institute in Ripples long fic





	

“Let me publish your letters.”

A hard cough erupted as puffs of smoke billowed from his mouth. Nearly crashing backwards into a chair, Hancock gave Piper a horrified look. “Don’tcha knock?”

“Sorry to startle you, Mayor.” Piper leaned against the doorway of the shack. “Thought you knew I was in the area.”

“Office hours are closed. Come back tomorrow.” He said putting out the cigarette and unravelling his arms from the chair. Piper made no motion to leave so Hancock sighed and decided to undress.

“This isn’t your office and this isn’t Goodneighbor.” She said indignantly.

“Unless you were here for something unofficial,” Wanting to waggle his non existent eyebrows, Hancock couldn't find the energy to be cute. Instead, he threw his coat on the nearby bed. “You’re looking at the new trade commissioner for the greater commonwealth area, and I’ve had a hellofa day.”

Piper laughed and crossed her arms. “You mean that gang of thugs you and Cait put together to raid the raiders?”

“What can I say? Clearing roads, making ‘em safe for travel takes tough characters. Good thing I know all the toughest ones.”

“That’s…” Piper’s eyes widened and she spoke with admiration. “That’s actually a really great idea. How do you cover costs?”

“Right now I’m just taking from the raiders, mercs, and mutants that want to get in our way.” Sitting on the bed, Hancock slouched and started to rub his neck. “When there’s no more trouble on the streets I’ll let someone smarter figure out how to keep them safe, and the troops paid without spoils to divide.”

“You mean Fahrenheit?” Raising her eyebrows, Piper watched Hancock shrug at her questions. He never gave her a straight answer about his partnership. “Oh well, It doesn't matter. I think you'll have your hands full for a long time.” Piper strolled across the room, helping herself to the nearby snack cakes that were set out on the table. She sat down on the chair and propped her feet up. “I think it’s about time I got to know this side of you. ‘The leader of the largest organized crime gang, The Mayor of Goodneighbor, really a giant softie?’”

“I’m tired.”

“You’re always looking out for you, and you’re evading. What’s the angle, Mayor?” Piper leaned forward in her chair and found she was only a couple feet from his face. She suddenly wore an expression of regret. "Damn, you do look tired."

“With the raiders gone I’ll have no competition. Makes running a criminal organization easier and more profitable.” Taking off his hat he looked up at her. She was examining him carefully, not responding right away and taking her time. “Why’d you really come here, Pipes? It’s not ‘cause you like what you see.” Hancock forced a wink and a smile to work it's way out of his somber mood.

“Oh,” Piper looked away suddenly, and blushed as she often did when caught in her own game. “I came here about the letters you wrote to Nick. He let me read a few, well, maybe not let me, but it was on his desk just sitting there, and no one said I couldn’t…”

“Oh yea?” Hancock leaned back on the bed and raised his legs to get more comfortable. It seemed at this point he would be listening to Piper all night.

“I just don’t get it. You. The letters. It’s like two different people.” Piper reached into her jacket and pulled out a folded piece of paper.

“You also stole them?” Hancock smiled at her, honestly smiled this time. Piper was often more fierce than he gave her credit for. It was no wonder people either loved or hated her. With Piper there was no room for an in between. Hancock wrote long opinions about Piper in some of his letters. Some good, some bad, but all trouble. He really considered Piper an outstanding character even if the sentiment wasn’t mutual.

“I only borrowed this one. It’s about...Vi.” She said and the air between them tensed measurably. Piper started to unfold the paper and the crackles filled the empty night.

_Vi._

Her name, just hearing it after these long weeks unsettled him. A name that was kept unspoken, out of mind’s reach by those that didn’t want to imagine yet another lost friend. Piper and Hancock both desired the best outcome, but assumed the worst and their avoidance of each other proved this.

Everyday Hancock told himself Vi would be back, everyday she did not come. The longer she was gone, the more he realized how he missed her. He missed her with a pitfall in his stomach, with a never ending stream of consciousness replaying her voice, and mostly he missed her with an upside down feeling that chems could not reproduce or drown. He hadn’t used in three weeks. Using to escape a feeling was the same as running and that wasn’t him, not anymore. He hadn’t used since she disappea...no. She left. She chose. Vi never did a damn thing she didn’t want to do.

“I’ve written lots of letters about lots of people.” He breathed out slowly and hoped this tight feeling at his jaw would pass. “Nick writes letters. Publish those.”

“You’ve got to be kidding. Nick is great, but he gets right to the point. His letters are like a grocery list. ‘Gone to get canned peas and save a village. Be back soon.’ But these letters...”

Piper crossed the room and sat next to his legs on the bed. She held the letter up like a proclamation of proof. “this is not just any letter. It’s...damn... well inspiring!” Her face looked down and started scanning the paper she held.

_"And if there’s anyone who can’t comprehend why we act as we do, it’s someone who, in their previous life had nothing but bullshit tasks to fill their waking moments. Vi, if she’s to be believed, comes from a time where people think less about human suffering than they do about hair color or fucking. She didn’t even have the advantage of knowing pain or crime like you did, Nick._

_Vi comes at us with no ability to survive the basic landscape of the wealth; the complete lack of any skill we would deem required for this life. She scowls at us hardened ‘survivors’ and asks “why not?” And I look at you, Nick, and I wonder why the fuck it took us so long to ask ourselves the same damn thing?"_

Piper’s breath caught. “Shit.” She looked up and caught his troubled expression. “I’ve been thinking the same thing for a while now, but you put it in the way that really shows how accustomed we are to putting up with bullshit instead of fighting it.”

“I was high when I wrote that.” Hancock said as he leaned away from her, rubbing his face free from the day’s dirt. “What did Nick say about all this?”

Piper cleared her throat for the impression. “ _Well, Piper, you ain’t wrong._ ” She said trying to look grumpy.

“He means that no one cares what I think or say.” Hancock sighed and gave her a slow smile. “Sorry, Pipes, it’s just you.”

“Vi cared.” Piper said suddenly. Instantly, Hancock furrowed his brow in incredulity.

Piper took a deep breath and put her hand on his arm. “I get it now. I know I can be tough on people, but I think everyone needs to prove who they are. I get why Nick’s been your friend so long. I’m not saying I agree with how you do things, but I get it.”

“That’s not...”

“We don’t have to publish them under your name. It can be anonymous, Hancock, I think the people need to read these.”

He drew his arm away and started to shake his head.

“Don’t say no.” She whispered. “Your letters can help people. Inspire people to more.”

Reaching out Hancock gently took the letter from her. Looking over the words he’d written, he recalled the feeling when he was first inspired by this passion. A short time ago where everything stopped standing still. The world started spinning again. It started having meaning again. It was a time when Vi seemed somehow invincible and separate from the rest of them. He would laugh at the idea now if it didn’t make him so damn furious.

Vi was never supposed to disappear from this narrative. She wasn’t supposed to become a reminder of what is missing around every corner, and now Piper wanted to include this raw truth in her publications.

_But what would Vi want?_ She would do what needed to be done, fuck the consequences. Hancock burned when he thought of how they were the same deep down. Nothing mattered like what was _right_ and _just_. Everything else was just bullshit and excuses.

“Yeah, alright.” He barely finished saying and Piper was already on her feet, snatching the letter away and heading for the door.

“You made the right decision, Hancock.” The door slammed shut behind Piper, and the cool night air rushed past him.

The right decision. He hoped so, but doubt was a familiar escort. Three weeks ago Vi disappeared into the nothing. The night before she was closer than she’d ever been. She opened up unexpectedly. She was in his company because that’s where she wanted to be. In that moment they shared something real; the rarest of trusts. The ‘right’ decision would have been to never let her go. Never let her use the teleporter; hold her in his arms and convince her **there was another way**.

A distinctly dishonest feeling overtook him. It was a selfish thought, and not what Vi would want. It’s how he knew he was still a fucking coward after all.


End file.
